Written by Derek Harvey at Bloguin
Earlier this week, I gave you a list of players I thought most likely to accept the qualifying offer – a one year contract worth $15.8 million. As is the way of things, that list did not include Colby Rasmus. I looked at his offensive numbers and assumed even in this robust outfield market that he could secure a 3 year deal. Until today, that would have been enough for a player to decline the offer and risk free agency. However, Colby Rasmus clearly felt differently as he becomes the first player in history to accept the qualifying offer.
The system was established three years ago. In those three years, 34 players were given the qualifying offer. And every single one of them had declined the offer, forcing serious consideration as to whether the system was working at all. This year, 20 players (the most in a single year) have been extended the QO.
By FanGraphs’ metric, Colby Rasmus was worth 2.8 fWAR for the Astros playing all three outfield positions. He hit .238/.314/75 with 25 home runs. That was good for a 115 wRC+, giving him three consecutive years as an above average hitter – he posted a 130 wRC+ in 2013 and a 104 in 2014.
As a left-handed hitter, you might have expected him to struggle vs same handed pitching, but the opposite was true this year. It’s not a skill he’s shown in the past, though it is interesting to note that he’s improved over the last three years in that capacity: 50 wRC+ in 2012, 93 in 2013, 94 in 2014, and 132 in 2015. That jump is likely a fluke, but he has seemed to improve enough that he probably doesn’t require a platoon.
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